Cooling means for tilting converter



Oct. 3, 1957 c. PERE 3,345,o5s

COOLING MEANS FOR TILTING CONVERT ER Filed Aug. 25, 1965 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent O 3,345,058 r COOLTNG MEANS FOR TILTENG CONVERTER Carlo Pere, Genoa, Italy, assigor to Siderforni S.p.A.,

' Genoa, Italy Filed Aug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,478 Claims priority, application Italy, Mar. 8, 1963, 5,125/63 13 Claims. (Cl. 266-336) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus for treating molten material including a wall which defines a chamber in which the molten material is to be treated, and which chambe r has a top opening. Pivot means turnably supports the wall for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis. A source of coolant is provided. Distributing means is provided externally adjacent to the wall at least in the region of the top opening of the chamber for distributing coolant at least about the major part of the wall. Conduit means operatively connects the source with the distributing means for enabling supply of coolant to the latter.

The present invention relates to blast furnaces. More specifically, the invention relates to an arrangement for cooling the outer surfaces of such furnaces.

It is well known that the inner refractory lining of blast furnaces wears relatively quickly and must frequently be renewed. Naturally, whenever the furnace is relined it must first be permitted a necessary cooling-down period and is then non-usable for the additional period required to reline the outer shell. If, now, the life of the refractory material could be prolonged, this would result in decreased use of refractory material and in a reduction of the down-time required for cooling and relining of the furnace, and would therefore provide for increased eiiiciency and more economical operation of the blast furnace.

Heretofore it has been known to spray water onto the outer shell which surrounds the refractory material of the surface. However, this method has been drected towards cooling the she-ll, and not the refractory lining. While the cooling action achieved in this manner is generally adequate for cooling the shell, it is not adequate for eflecting adequate protection of the refractory material. Also, when the water is sprayed onto the shell surface under pressure, a mist is formed which drifts away from the furnace and settles on surrounding structures, causing accelerated corrosion or deterioration of such structures.

T aking into account the aboVe-mentioned conditions, it is a general object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of existing converter-cooling arrangements.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a converter arrangement which will permit proper cooling of the refractory material which lines the converter shell, so as to increase the life of such material.

A still more specific object of the present invention is to provide such an arrangement in which cooling is performed by providing a continuous flow of water over the entire outer surface of the converter shell.

Another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of the type described in which the formation and escape of mist are prevented.

In accordance with the above-stated objects, one feature of my invention consists in the provision of a converter arrangement which includes the combination of a normally upright conveter having a wall and being formed ,with a top opening; turning means for enabling turning of the converter about a substantially horizontal axis;

water supply means; water dispensing means arranged ing water onto the outer surface of the converter wall; water distributing means arranged about the outer surface of the Wall for distributing the cooling water substantially evenly over substantially the entire outer surface of the wall; conduit means operatively connecting the water supply means and the water dispensing means, and including first conduit means rigidly secured to the water supply means and second conduit means mounted on the converter for t urning movement therewith and communicating with the first conduit means for enabling supplying of cooling water to the water dispensing means even when the converter is not in its normally upn'ght position; and a receptacle arranged beneath the converter for reeeiving the cooling water.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its Construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the acconpanying drawing, in which:

The single figure is a partly-sectioned elevational View of a converter arrangement in accordance with the present invention.

As will be evident from the drawing, the converter compromises a conventional shell 1 lined with refractory material 2 in the usual manner. Since the converter is of the normally upright type its charge and discharge opening 3 is provided at the normally upper end. The entire converter vessel is supported by means of hollow journal pins 4 in respective bearings 5 which rest on supports 6. Thus, the converter is tiltable about a horizontal aXis defined by the journal pins 4 by any suitable tilting means as indcated in the drawing.

The opening 3 of the converter is surrounded exter- V nally by a collector ring 7 into which the cooling water is fed in a manner which will presently become clear. The collector ring 7 can, of course, be made in various diiferent forms and can be made integrally, assembled from individual sections, etc. Downwardly of the collector ring 7 and connected therewith there is provided a jacket 8 which surrounds the entire converter With spacing from the shell 1, so that there is thus created between the outer surface of shell 1 and the inner surface of jacket 8 a space 8' through which water can flow. The inner surface of jacket 8 carries a plurality of preferably downwardly inclined baflles which serve to guide the flow of water in this space 8'. Advanta-geously these baflies are staggered relative to one another with respect to both the circumference and the longitudinal axis of the converter. A plurality of ribs, Secured to the outer surface of shell 1 by any suitable means such as welding, serve to hold the jacket 8 in its predetermined position spaced from the shell 1 by a distance which advantageously ranges from 5-15 cm. A plurality of circumferentially spaced pipes or hoses 11 are connected at their upper ends with the collector ring 7, as shown at 11', and communicate with the interior thereof. They extend downwardly along the outer surface of jacket 8 and their lower ends are connected in communicatin g relationship with an annular feeding conduit 12 which surrounds the converter at about its midpoint. Valves 9 provided in the respective pipes or hoses 11 make it possible to shut off the flow of water through individual ones of the pipes or hoses 11 when such is desired, for example if only a portion of the refractory material is to be cooled. The annular conduit 12 is connected with a longitudinal conduit portion or extension 12' which extends coaxially through one of the hollow journal pins 4- and whose outer free end communicates with a stationary conduit 14 by means of a short fiexible pipe or hose 13 interposed between conduits 12' and 14. Naturally, the pipe or hose 13 can be replaced with a watertight friction coupling of the type which would permit turning of the conduit extension 12' relative to the stationary conduit 14. The stationary conduit 14 is connected with a coolant supply source (not shown) by means of a shut-off valve 15. Intermediate the shut-off valve 15 and the feeding conduit 12' there is arranged another valve 16 which is normally closed and which can be opened when the supply of water through the valve 15 has been stopped and it is desired to evacuate water still remaining in the feeding conduit 12, 12'.

At its bottom end the jacket 8 is provided with a dis charge opening 17 and a valve or other closing devicesuch as relatively rotatable discs with alignable bores-which permits the outflow of water through the opening 17 to be regulated. Downwardly of the opening 17 there is arranged a receptacle, such as a funnel 19, which receives water flowing through the opening 17 and leads this water into the discharge pipe 21 which carries it away. It will be understood that the regulating device 18 is provided so that the water level in the space 8' can be adjusted. This is of importance, since cooling of the bottom portion of the refractory material can obviously be achieved only by providing a water-bath, that is by having the bottom portion of the shell 1 continuously immersed in water. 'On the other hand, the water should not rise into that portion of the space which surrounds the side wall of the converter, since this portion can be best cooled by a constant stream of water, and therefore there are provided overflow pipes 20 which will carry off the excess water if it rises above a predetermined level, and will deliver it to the receptacle 19.

Of course, it will be clear, that a variety of modifications is possible to this basic arrangement. For instance, very large converters may require the provision of a second collector ring downwardly spaced from the first collector ring 7, for example positioned about the midpoint of the converter below the journal pins. Such a second collector ring Would then be connected with the water supply means in the same way as described above for the first collector ring 7. A Simpler arrangement of this type is shown in the drawing where there is provided a second inlet 22 for admission of supplementary cooling water. As is evident from the drawing, the second inlet is in the form of an 'annular trough surrounding the jacket 8 and communicating with the space 8'. This arrangement permits the addition of supplementary water to compensate for losses through evaporation, or for the loss of cooling action of the water which has become warm on its way from collector ring 7 to inlet 22.

Again, the annular conduit 12` can be connected with the water supply by two extensions 12' which each pass through one of the pins 7. It is also possible to connect the hoses or pipes 11 directly with the collector ring 7 so that the need for letting the extension 12' pass through the pins 4 is eliminated. Also, the ribs which space the jacket 8 from shell 1 may be advantageously so construoted, for instance as a hollow triangle having its open base facing the converter, that they compensate for expansion of the shell 1.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention I may also construct the valve 15 as a solenoid valve and so electrically connect it with the oxygen lance of the converter that valve 15 is open and permits the flow of water only when the lance enters into the converter. It needs no elaboration that the cooling action is primarily required when the lance is in the converter, that is when oxygen is blown into the vessel and the heat is most intense. In this embodiment the flow of water would then stop as the lance is removed from the vessel.

Also, the collector ring 7, which in the drawing is shown as having a downwardly open slot through which the water passes into the space 8', can instead be provided with a plurality of openings for the same purpose.

Under certain circumstances tilting of the converter about its horizontal axis may begin while the lance is still positioned within the vessel; again, it may be desirable to continue cooling by means of the cooling arrangement even after the lance has been removed but while the vessel is already being tilted. This is made possible by the provision of the tube, hose or coupling 13 which permits rotation of the feeding conduit portion 12' relative to the stationary conduit 14 since the conduit portion 12', by virtue of its connection with the annular feeding circuit 12 secured to the converter, moves with the converter when the same is tilted.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the inventive arrangement serves to achieve the desired cooling of the refractory material, and thus to achieve considerable economies with respect to consumption of such refractory material and also in decreasing the work required for maintaining the converter, namely relining the same.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of converter arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a converter arrangement, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing wil l so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can be applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characeristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are in tended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed is new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for treating molten material, a wall defining a chamber in which said molten material is treated, said chamber having a top opening; pivot means turnably supporting said wall for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis; a source of coolant; coolant dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening external-ly thereof for acconmodating and dispensing coolant onto an outer surface of said wall; distributing means externally adjacent said wall for distributing coolant dispensed by said coolant dispensing means at least about a major part of said wall; and conduit means operatively connecting said source with said dispensing means for enabling supply of coolant to the latter, said conduit means including stationary first conduit means arranged in the region of said pivot means and communicating with said source and second conduit means communicating with said coolant chamber and said first conduit means in the region of said pivot means and being turnable with said wall relative to said first conduit means.

2. In an apparatus for treating molten material, a wall defining a chamber in which said molten material is treated, said chamber having a top opening; pivot means turnably supporting said wall for angular movement about a substantially horizontal axis; coolant supply means including a source of flowing coolant and a valve for regulating the flow of said coolant; coolant dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for accommodating and dispensing coolant onto an outer surface of said wall; distributing means externally adjacent about said wall for distributing coolant dispensed by said coolant dispensing u means at least about a major part of said wall; and conduit means operatively connecting said valve with said dispensing means for enabling supply of coolant to the latter, said conduit means including stationary first conduit means arranged in the region of said pivot means and communicating with said source and second conduit means communicating with said coolant chamber and said first conduit means in the region of said pivot means and being turnable with said wall relative to said first conduit means.

3. In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally uprght converter having a wall and being forme-d with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis; water supply means; water dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for accommodating and dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means arranged about said outer surface of said wall for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface; conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means rigidly Secured to said water supply means and located in the region of said turning means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means in the region of said turning means for enabling supplying of -cooling water to said annular coolant chamber even when said converter is not in its normally uprght position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling water.

4. In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally uprght converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal aXis; water supply means including a source of owing Water and a valve for regulating the flow of said water; water dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for accommodating and dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means arranged about said outer surface of said wall for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface; conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said water =dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means arranged in the region of said turning means rigidly secured to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means in the region of said turning means for enabling supplying of cooling water to said annular coolant chamber even when said converter is not in its normally uprght position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling water.

5. In a converter arrangement, in combination a normally uprght converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis; water supply means including a source of flowing water and a solenoid valve for regulating the flow of said Water; water dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for accommodating and dispensing cooling Water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means arranged about said outer surface of said Wall for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface; conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means arranged in the region of said turning means rigidly Secured to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means in the region of said turning means for enabling supplying of cooling water to said annular coolant chamber even when said converter is not in its normally uprght position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling Water.

6. In a converter arrangement, in combination a normally uprght converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means including a pair of journal pins for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis; water supply means; water dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for accommodating and dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means arranged about said outer surface of said Wall for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface; conduit means having a portion eXtending through at least one of said journal pins and operatively connecting said water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit 'means arranged in the region of said turning means rigidly Secured to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means in the region of said turning means for enabling supplying of cooling water to said annular coolant chamber even when said converter is not in its normally uprght position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter f-or receiving said cooling water.

7. In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally uprght converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis and including a pair of hollow journal pins rigidly Secured to said converter; Water supply means; water dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for accommodating and dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means arranged about said outer surface of said wall for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface; conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means rigidly connected to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and having a portion extending through at least one of said hollow journal pins coaxially therewith and communicating with said first conduit means for supplying cooling water to said annular coolant chamber even when said converter is not in its normally uprght position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling water.

8. In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally uprght converter having 'a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis and including a pair of hollow journal pins rigidly Secured to said converter; water supply means; water dispensing means including an annular coolant chamber arranged about said opening externally thereof for acommodating and dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means arranged about said outer surface of said wall for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface; conduit means operatively connecting said Water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means rigidly connected to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and having one portion extending through at least one of said hollow journal pins coaXially therewith and comunicating with said first conduit means, another portion comunicating with said one portion and encircling said converter, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced branches each communicating with said other portion and annular coolant chamber for supplying cooling water to said annular coolant chamber even when the converter is not in its normally upright position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling water.

9. In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally upright converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal aXis; water supply means; annular chamber means arranged about said opening externally thereof for dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface, said water distributing means including cooling jacket means surrounding and spaced from said outer surface of said wall and defining therewith a space in which the cooling water can flow downwardly from said annular chamber means, and baflle means arranged on the inner surface of said cooling jacket means for determining the flow of said water; and conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said annular chamber means, said conduit means including first conduit means arranged in the region of said turning means rigidly connected to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means in the region of said turning means for supplying cooling water to said annular chamber means even when said converter is not in its normally upright position.

10, In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally upright converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis; water supply means including a source of flowing water and a solenoid valve for interrupting the flow of said water; water dispensing means including a collector ring arranged about said opening externally thereof for dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; Water dist'ibuting means for distributing said cooling water substantially evenly over substantially said entire outer surface, said water distributing means including cooling jacket means surrounding and spaced from said outer surface of said wall and defining therewith a space in which the cooling water can flow downwardly from said water dispensing means, and baifle means arranged on the inner surface of said cooling jacket means for determining the flow of said water; conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means rigidly connected to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means for supplying cooling water to said water dispensing means even when said converter is not in its normally up'ight position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling water.

11. In a converter arrangement, in combination, a normally upright converter having a wall and being formed with a top opening; turning means for turning said converter about a substantially horizontal axis; water supply means including a source of flowing water, a solenoid valve for interrupting the flow of said water, and means for actuating said solenoid valve in dependence upon insertion of an oxygen lance into said converter; water dispensing means including a colleetor ring arranged about said opening externally thereof for dispensing cooling water onto the outer surface of said wall; water distributing means for distributing said cooling Water substantially evenly over substantially the entire outer surface, said water distributing means including cooling jacket means surrounding and spaced from said outer surface of said wall and defining therewith a space in which the cooling water can flow downwardly from said water dispensing means, and baflle means arranged on the inner surface of said cooling jacket means for determining the flow of said water; conduit means operatively connecting said water supply means and said water dispensing means, said conduit means including first conduit means rigidly connected to said water supply means and second conduit means mounted on said converter for turning movement therewith and communicating with said first conduit means for supplying cooling Water to said water dispensing means even when said converter is not in its normally upright position; and a receptacle arranged beneath said converter for receiving said cooling water.

12. In a converter arrangment as defined in claim 9, wherein said conduit means is arranged to supply water to said annular chamber means at such a rate as to maintain said chamber means substantially full of water.

13. In a converter arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said wall comp'ises a top portion formed With said top opening and a 'bottom portion spaced from said top portion and located opposite said top opening; and wherein said cooling jacket means surrounds said wall entirely including said bottom portion so that cooling water flowing downwardly from said annular chamber means cools said wall including said bottom portion thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,l67,729 1/1916 Thornton 266-32 2,339,l92 1/1944 Roberson 266-32 X 3,l07,893 10/1963 Bashe 251-129 X 3,l63,695 12/1964 Bumberger 266-36 FOREIGN PATENTS l,082,928 6/1960 Germany.

8,586 11/1894 Great Britain.

J. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Prima y Examier.

E. MAR, Assistant Examner. 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR TREATING MOLTEN MATERIAL, A WALL DEFINING A CHAMBER IN WHICH SAID MOLTEN MATERIAL IS TREATED, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A TOP OPENING; PIVOT MEANS TURNABLY SUPPORTING SAID WALL FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS; A SOURCE OF COOLANT; COOLANT DISPENSING MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR COOLANT CHAMBER ARRANGED ABOUT SAID OPENING EXTERNALLY THEREOF FOR ACCOMMODATING AND DISPENSING COOLANT ONTO AN OUTER SURFACE OF SAID WALL; DISTRIBUTING COOLANT DISPENSED BY SAID CENT SAID WALL FOR DISTRIBUTING COOLANT DISPENSED BY SAID COOLANT DISPENSING MEANS AT LEAST ABOUT A MAJOR PART OF SAID WALL; AND CONDUIT MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID SOURCE WITH SAID DISPENSING MEANS FOR ENABLING SUPPLY OF COOLANT TO THE LATTER, SAID CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING STATIONARY FIRST CONDUIT MEANS ARRANGED IN THE REGION OF SAID PIVOT MEANS AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SOURCE AND SECOND CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID COOLANT CHAMBER AND SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS IN THE REGION OF SAID PIVOT MEANS AND BEING TURNABLE WITH SAID WALL RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST CONDUIT MEANS. 